Grass-catcher for lawn-mowers.



A. C.- SCHNAKE.

GRASS CATCHER FOR LA WN MOWERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29; 1916.

1,283,325, Patented 00. 29, 1918.

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' A. C. SCHNAKE.

GRASS CATCHEB FOR LAWN MOWERS. APPLICATION rim) mwze. 1915.

1,283,325 Patanted 00. 29, 1918.

2 sums-sneer 2.

. averse o. *S I I'T E, cnnrnALIA, ILLINOIS.

ennss-ca'ronnnroa LAWN-MOWERS.

V Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 29', mile.

7 Application filed Ma y 29, 1916. Serial No. 100,523. p h

To all whom it'mag concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUsT C. Sentient), a citizen of theUnited States, reslding at Centralia, in the county of Clinton and State 1 oflllinois, have inventedcertain new anduseful Improvements in Grass-Catchersfor Lawn-Mowers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and usethe same reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification; My invention relates to grass catchers for lawn mowers, and comprises a knockdown receptacle for receiving the mowed grass havingmeans for retaining the mowed grass within the receptacle, means adapting the 29.; grass receptacle to be attached to Ordinary lawn mowers ofdifierent sizesor widths and means to support the receptacle in its proper position.

One object is to provide; a device 'thatmay be knocked down totoccupy the least com pass of space forstorageor shipment.

A further-object isto produce device that may be adjusted to be'applled to ordinary l.lawn .mowers or difi'erentflsizes or I bending its-ends backwardly and then for- -wi dths. M p

A. furtheruobject is to provide means to preventgthe mowed grass-being jarred or jolted-put ofuthegrassreceptacle as the mowerpassesoverrough ground or comes in contact with obstacles. 1

' A further objectis to providemeans to permit the devieeito be supported in a proper position 4, with themow'er.

And a'further vice that will be simpleqand eflicient and he wn-5 mower. .1

Tc'attain lthegforegoing objects and such 7 others asmay. hereinafter. appear, the invention .ic'onsistsin. the features hereinafter .de-

respect tothe handle bar of iobject' is tozproduce a ;de-

may readilyl-beattached to orre noved from:

.tional view showand supporting means and other parts omitted;

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the grass receptacle sections detached and in position to be assembled; V

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the roller guard and grass bar;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective indetail showing the manner of attaching the grass receptacle to the mower;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a member for attachment of the receptacle or pan to the lawn mower, and

Fig. 7 is a cross section of the handle-bar clasp of the supporting member as shown in Fig. 1.

The grass receptacle or pan comprises side sections or members 1 and an end section or member 2 which have their bottom edges bent inwardly and then overlapped to form folded grooved flanges 3 and a bottom section 4 which has its rear and side edges turned to provide folded flanges 5 which form grooves to receive or interlock with the flanges 3 to provide a slida'ble and detachable interlocking engagement when the sections are assembled. The end section 2 is also provided with forwardly projecting flanges or extensions 6 formed preferably by and prevent any lateral movement of the same. The extensions 6 have tongues 8 formed preferably therewith by cutting or slitting the metal and which pass through openings 9 formed in the side sections to lock the sections together. To assemble the sections, the ends of the flanges 3 are engaged with the flanges 5 and then slid into position as indicated in Fig. 3, the end section being first attached to permit the rear ends of the side sections to engage the grooves orseats 7 The tonguesS after being passed through the openings 9 are bent back to lock thesections .in their assembled position.

Attaching members or connectors fashioned preferably from a single piece of spring wire are formed with a finger grip or loop 10 a member 11 with an inturned or bent end 11 and an offset member 12 with a downwardly turned or bent end 12 as shown .in Fig. 6. "Topermit the grass recep-.

tacle or pan to'be'attached to mowers of rent W d h the bQtt -m section of the mower has a. series of perforations 13 through which the offset members 12 of the connectors will pass and be held by spring pressure or tension due tothe engagement of the finger grips with the underside of thebottom of the receptacle. The members 11, which are-bent to incline toward each. other as shown in Fig. 3 are then sprung into perforations or slots usually-provided in the 10 ordinary lawn mower for the vertical adjustment of the roller. The engagement of the bent ends 12 with their corresponding perforations, will prevent the accidental unfastening of the ends 11 of the members 11 from the mower. v q

The cut grass is retainedwithin the receptacle by means of a roller guardla formed preferably of telescoping or slidably connected curved or arched sections 14$ and 14 adapted to be supported in spaced relation with the roller, and connected by rods 15 to a grass bar 16 preferably V-shaped and also formed of telescoping or slidably connected sections 16 and 16" which permit it to be ad justed with the roller guard. The roller guard and grass bar are attached to the grass receptacle or pan by offset arms 17 which engage perforations 18 in the bottom v of the receptacle, the roller guard being spaced from the roller by the spacing memhere which rest upon the bottom of the'grass receptacle. This arrangement of elements permits the combined roller guard and grass bar to be used with mowers of different widths by simply adjusting them to the width of the'mower roller and then attaching; them by passing the offset arms 17 through their corresponding perforations provided for the purpose in the bottom of 40 the. grass receptacle or pan. The greater amount of the cut grass is thrown by the mower knives to the rear of the grass bar 16 which holds it at the rear of the pan and prevents its forward movement and conse- 45 quent falling out or discharge at the front of the receptacle as the mower is moved over rough ground or comes into contact with stones or other obstructions, and the roller guard prevents the cut grass which has collected in front of the grass guard from comingin contact with the roller and being car riedout of'the receptacle; A chain 19 has attachedat one end a bowed spiring plate 20 provided with a key-hole aperture 21, and a flexible friction band 22 arranged between" the chain and the handle bar to prevent the slipping of the chain from L its adjustedposition. The chain is fastened by to the barley passing it around the same and through the enlarged portion of the keyhole j aperture when the free end fof the plate is grasped and pressed against the handle bar as shown in Fig. 7 The link adjacent the f 0 restrictedportion of the" keyhole aperture ,is 'then moved into the same which causes the spring plate, which now tension, to draw the chain against the friction band and tightly gripthehandle bar. The other end of the chain'i's provided with a hook member23 and is passed throughan eye formed withthe hook member 25 which engages an-aperture 24 in the end of the grass receptacle. The hook member, 23,""is then caught in one-"ofthe links of the chain to hold the receptacle at its adjusted position in relation to the heightto which the handle bar is to be held While the mower is in use.

It willreadily be understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, that the devicemay be readily assembled'and attached'to an ordi-[ nary lawn mower, or detached and" taken apart for shipment or storage and that any of the parts which maybecome damaged or 7 broken may be easily replaced withontimpairing the usefulness of the rest of the de-' vlce.

I have illustrated and described with particularity the preferred details "of construction but it is to be understood that changes can be made therein and-essential features of the invention retained."

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: K

1. A grass catcher for mowers comprising a receptacle,,means for attaching the receptacle to a mower, a bar extending upwardly from the bottom of the receptacle" and formed of telescopic sections for adjustment. transversely of the receptacle for retaining grass within the receptacle, and means for attachment of the bar to the receptacle.

v 2. Agrass catcherfor mowers comprising a receptacle, means for attaching the reQep-L tacle to a mower, and a detachable grass 1 guard within the receptacle-"for retaining mowed grass in thereceptacle, said guard extending" upwardly. from the bottom of the receptacle-a sufiicient distance to permit grass to pass from frontLto rear of the guard and retain thegrass inthefreceptacle.

, 3. A grass catcher for'mowers, compris ing areceptacle,means for attaching'the re ceptacle to a mower, and. a grass guard with j in the receptacle, adjustablefin. width f 11 5 4, A grass catcher vformowers,comprising a receptacle, "means forattaching the reef ceptacle to a mower and a rol le'r guard ad-" justa'ble in width secured thereceptaclel 5. grass catcher fer-mo ers 'compris,,120 ingfa "receptacle, means for attaching the re 7 ceptacle to a mow'enand anadjustablerollerl guard detachably securedto the receptacle;

"6. grass catcher forlmowers comprising a receptacle, means for attaching the recep 125 tacleto a mower, a grass guard withinlthe receptacle, and a roller guardconneeted with V h sware,

tacle to a mower, a grass guard within the receptacle and a roller guard connected with the grass guard, both the grass guard and roller guard being adjustable in width.

8. A grass catcher for mowers comprising a sectional receptacle formed of bottom and side sections, the meeting edges of the. sections at the bottom of the receptacle being formed with flattened interlocking slidable joints for connecting the sections and sustaining the sides in an upright position, and means for attaching the receptacle to a mower.

9. A grass catcher for lawn mowers comprising a sectional receptacle having a bottom section, side sections, an end section, said end section provided with grooves to receive the adjacent ends of the side sections to prevent lateral displacement of the same, means for locking the sections in assembled relation, the receptacle having an open front end, and means at the front end of the receptacle for attaching it to a mower.

10. A grass catcher for lawn mowers comprising a sectional receptacle having a bottom section, side sections, and an end section having forwardly projecting end walls provided with means for engagement with the side sections for locking the sections in assembled relation, the receptacle having an open front end, and means at the front end for its attachment to the mower.

11. A grass catcher for mowers comprising a receptacle and means for attaching the receptacle to a mower including a perforated spring plate, a flexible member secured to said plate and coacting therewith to form a clasp for the handle bar and a hook member secured to said flexible member to adjustably support said receptacle.

12. A grass catcher for mowers comprising a receptacle and means for attaching the receptacle to a mower including a member provided with an arm for engagement with the mower, an offset arm for engagement with the receptacle and a grip member provided intermediate of the arms to prevent accidental detachment of the member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST 0. SCHNAKE.

Witnesses:

J. W. KENDALL, LOUIS PEIFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

